New Lambton club captain Corey Nicholas conceded the belief among the NPL rookies "took a bit of a hit" after a 9-1 drubbing at the hands of defending premiers Maitland in round two.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But after a huge turnaround to hold 2022 grand final winner Lambton Jaffas to a draw, belief is strong a first victory in the top division can come against Adamstown this weekend.
The Golden Eagles lost their opening two games, both at home, including a 1-0 defeat to a Charlestown side who finished with eight players.
New Lambton's tough initiation to the NPL looked set to continue against the Jaffas at No.2 Sportsground on Friday night, especially when they trailed in the 44th minute via a penalty. Josh Benson converted the chance he gained from a push in the back by Luke Caldwell.
However, Dylan Bozinovski made the run down the left and the early cross to find substitute Chase Lattimore for the back-post finish in the 67th minute.
The Golden Eagles, the second-division premiers the past three years, held firm to secure their first point in the league and a much-needed confidence boost.
"It was good, the boys worked really hard, stuck to the game plan and played out the full game, which was probably the most pleasing aspect," Nicholas said.
"They battled really hard, so it was great.
"We had some good discussions through the week and everyone wasn't too doom and gloom but it was certainly about how we need to turn this around, and all the boys reacted really well.
"We just wanted to get on with it and it was good we had the shorter turnaround. We had a good week at training, and straight into it. The boys couldn't wait to get back on the field.
"The belief took a bit of a hit but we took the chance to bounce back."
Nicholas said New Lambton changed their defensive structure into a stronger block after the Maitland loss and it paid dividends.
"I thought the two best players were our sixes, Louis [Townsend] and Jackson [O'Sullivan], they just kept going and going," he said.
"The Jaffas 10 [Finn Todhunter] and Ben Hay played really well and they were hurting us a fair bit, so they did well to contain them the best they could.
"There was much better structure and communication throughout."
They next face an Adamstown side who scored their first win of the season last Saturday, downing Lake Macquarie 3-2. The match was set down for Adamstown Oval on Saturday but may be moved.
"I think if we turn up and play the same way and respect them, put in a good performance, we've got every chance to get the points," Nicholas said.
